


A Sad and Handsome Boy

by Jacqualine



Series: Red Jacket Series [2]
Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Twitter Prompt, Wearing His Clothes, red and black plaid coat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:01:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25736962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacqualine/pseuds/Jacqualine
Summary: Anne finds herself in another situation where she needs Gilbert's coat.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: Red Jacket Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863106
Comments: 11
Kudos: 198





	A Sad and Handsome Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Part Two of the Red Jacket series. You don't have to read the first one to enjoy this but it could help.
> 
> I fudged the timeline of the sad and handsome boy comment, having it occur much earlier than Ruby originally said it.

She was a fool. 

Why had she let Josie Pye talk her into it? She knew better. It had just happened so fast, one minute she is having a carefree day, in the woods, missing her bosom friend, the next she was walking home in just her chemise and underclothes. 

She'd been wandering the fields, enjoying those first spring blooms, mayflowers, violets and wild strawberry blossoms were dotting the fresh green fields and forests. Anne loved the way it smelled in April, like freshly turned earth. She was walking around Barry's pond when she saw a familiar trio on the other side, walking toward the bridge that spanned the pond. Josie, Tillie and Jane, they had spent the last couple of weeks barely talking to her because she had broken Ruby's heart. 

Anne hadn't meant to break her heart and she had explained as best she could that it was all just a comedy of errors. They didn't want to hear her explanation though, Ruby took one look at Anne returning Gilbert's jacket at church the morning after her disastrous experience minding Dellie and had burst into tears. Even Diana's repeated attempts to smooth things over hadn't been well received, with Josie saying that she couldn't believe that Diana was defending a man stealing piece of orphan trash. Ruby had just looked at Anne with those hurt brown eyes, filled with tears and asked Anne if she had always planned on stealing Gilbert Blythe from her.

As if she could steal any boy from Ruby Gillis. She was sweet, pretty...well mannered, Anne wasn't really any of those things. Gilbert Blythe would have to be suffering from a terrible head wound to chose Anne over Ruby. Anne had done what Diana had advised, just give them time and space, and when they saw that Gilbert and Anne were not courting, they could forgive her and be friends again.

When they waved to her as they started to cross the bridge she felt her heart skip, where they going to forgive her now? "Good afternoon." Anne called to them, wishing that Diana had not gone with her parents to Charlottetown for the weekend.

"Hi Anne."Tillie said before Josie elbowed her and Tillie replaced her smile with a scowl. So...not forgiven.

"On your way to have a secret meeting with Gilbert?" Josie asked.

"No, I was just enjoying the day. I love this time of year, you can feel just the hint of warmth on the breeze, but it's still brisk enough that you don't get overheated while walking. The birds are singing, it's like they are celebrating that spring has finally returned."

"Don't you ever stop talking?" Josie asked. Anne felt like asking her the same thing because it seemed like Josie dominated the conversation all the time at school. 

"Sometimes." Anne replied meekly. Josie rolled her eyes. 

"You know..." Josie began. "There is a way to prove that you aren't trying to steal Gilbert from Ruby."

"How?" Anne's hackles were immediately up, she didn't trust Josie at all.

"It's a test of sorts, one that measures the purity of your heart." Josie told her, Anne always did well at tests, she wondered what it was. 

"Walk along the railing of the bridge, if you fall you have a wicked heart and you are man stealing trash. If you make it without falling you have a pure heart and we will forgive you...so will Ruby."

"The water is still too cold." Jane said over Josie's shoulder.

"She has nothing to worry about if she's innocent. You are innocent, right Anne?" Josie asked her voice dripping with a sickenly sweet tone.

Anne knew she was had, if she didn't do it, they would say that was her admission that she did steal Gilbert from Ruby. If she did it and fell, that would allow them to see her as guilty as well. 

She was going to have to do it and not fall. 

She started to climb up on the railing and then stopped to remove her jacket and kick off her boots, it was a very narrow railing and she thought her boots would be too wide. She took off her stockings for fear they would be too slippery, she just hoped there were no loose nails sticking out. 

"Anne there's a bit of a breeze, you should take off your dress so the wind won't catch in it and blow you over." Josie suggested. 

"I can't cross that in just my underclothes and chemise." Anne said. What if someone saw?

"If you think that's for the best." Josie said with a smirk as a strong breeze ruffled all their dresses and hair. Anne reached behind her back and began to undo her dress and pinafore, slipping them off and laying them over her coat,boots and stockings. She slowly climbed up on top of the railing and took her first step, wobbling a little. The next step was steadier, and the one after even better, she was nearly halfway across when she saw Josie walk close to her. 

"Orphan trash!" She said as she shoved Anne's leg and pushed Anne off the bridge into the Lake of Shining Waters. She felt her feet sink into the icy cold mud on the bottom of the pond, some underwater grass tickling her legs, she pushed with her legs upward and kicked toward the surface, glad that Matthew had continued to teach her to swim over the last two years. She swam for the edge of the pond, hearing Josie and the girls laughing and running across the bridge in the opposite direction. 

The water was cold, like thousands of tiny needles poking her over and over, she found it hard to breathe, her chest constricting from the cold. If she thought the water was cold, it didn't compare to the first cold wind that hit her body. It shocked her enough to get to her feet, she had to get her clothes and boots on. She crossed the bridge three times, back and forth looking for her stuff before it occurred to her that Josie and the girls had stolen her clothes. She just turned toward home and started walking as quickly as she could in bare feet, holding her arms crossed over her body, trying to get some body heat.

She was on the path toward Green Gables when she stopped and groaned. "You have got to be kidding me? Life really is one cruel joke." She said out loud to herself. There on the path staring at her in opened mouth shock was...who else...Gilbert Blythe. He didn't say anything and she was too cold to stand around so she began to walk again, even if that meant getting closer to him. The movement jolted him from his stupor.

"Anne! What happened? Are you alright? You must be freezing." She passed him as he said most of this and he turned and started walking beside her. "Anne!" He said as she continued to ignore him, he grabbed her wrist, to get her attention. His hand felt like fire against her skin. "Jesus Anne you are too cold, you're going to die from exposure."

"I just need to get home." She said to him. 

"Anne you're shivering, and this isn't the way to Green Gables. You are almost at my place. Anne, do you understand me?" 

She was sure this was the way to Green Gables, she stopped and looked around, this wasn't the way to Green Gables, if they were near her home she would see the red elm she loved. She was so cold, she rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to stimulate some warmth. He took off his jacket and moved her arms into the sleeves, putting it on her. She smiled and snuggled into it this time, it was so warm, she felt so cold. "Mmmmm, it smells so good." She told him. 

He didn't answer, instead he kicked off his boot and pulled down his pants, she knew she should be alarmed, she was partially undressed, he was now removing clothes...Marilla wouldn't like that. But instead of telling him to stop or to even ask what he was doing, she laughed at his long underwear, pointing at them and covering her mouth, feeling the soft wool of the jacket against her face. He smiled up at her while he knelt by her feet and helped her put his pants on, lifting one of her legs, then the other into the pants, pulling them up to her waist and tightening the belt as tight as it would go. Then he pulled his socks off, put his boots back on and put his socks on over her feet. She giggled again. 

"I keep wearing your clothes." She told him. 

"Yes, I've noticed." He took her hand in his and led her down the path, holding her hand between both of his and rubbing it gently, she knew she should probably enjoy him holding her hand but she couldn't feel her fingers. "Not too far from my house, nice warm fire and blankets there Anne."

"Remember when I asked you to post on the Take Notice board for Ruby?" He nodded at her question. "She said your eyes were full of romance." Anne laughed again. "She hates me now."

"I'm sure that isn't true." 

"It is because she saw me return your jacket. If she could only see us now, I'm dressed like Gilbert Blythe. What will she think when I return your pants?!" She laughed again. She never imagined she would be having such a good time with Gilbert Blythe.

"Almost there, I can see the smoke from the fireplace."

"I didn't have the heart to tell her you gave me your sweater. The one you wore when I first realized that Ruby was right, you are a sad and handsome boy." She smiled at him when he rose both eyebrows in surprise. "You also own the best coat in the world, I'm not giving it back this time." 

"Is that so...Anne?!" She was so tired, she just had to lay down for a second.

She woke up, in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. Marilla was in a chair beside the bed, eyes closed, a pile of wool and two knitting needles on her lap. Matthew was sitting in a chair by the window, looking at the sunset.

Where are we?" She asked, he spun around and Marilla jumped at the sound of Anne's voice.

"Oh thank goodness. We were so worried." Marilla grabbed her up in her arms. She felt Matthew squeeze her shoulder. "What happened, how did you get wet without your clothes on?" 

She didn't want to tell at first, she was already hated by Josie and the other girls, being a tattle tell would only make it worse, but the more she thought about it, the more dangerous she realized the situation had been, if she hadn't met Gilbert on the path...would she have survived? The other girls had to answer for the dangerous prank. 

But she had met Gilbert on the path...she'd been practically naked! She would never recover from that shame and mortification, she felt a smile tug at her cheeks when she recalled her had removed his own clothes to warm her with. That's when she noticed she was still wearing his coat, the very thing that got her into the whole mess in the first place. She couldn't find it in herself to be angry at it though, it had kept her warm and perhaps saved her life. No, Josie was to blame for this, not the red and black plaid coat.

In the end she told Marilla what happened. Marilla said she would talk to the girls parents and Anne didn't hold out any hope that Josie would be reprimanded or punished for her actions.

"Where are we?" She asked again. Though she was certain she had worked it out.

"At Gilbert and Bash's. Gilbert had to carry you all the way from the path because you couldn't walk anymore. That boy saved your life." Marilla told her. Carried her? Gilbert Blythe had carried her? In his arms?" She nearly swooned at how heroic and brave it sounded, and a little romantical but that wasn't what she was thinking about at all.

"That was very kind of him to do." Anne said.

"Couldn't get you out of his coat neither. You insisted on keeping it on." Matthew spoke up, giving her a small smile. She felt the blood rush to her face.

"I certainly wasn't myself." She said. "I'll be sure to thank him when I see him next."

"You can do that now, I'll send him in. Matthew and I need to go get everything ready for you, get the wagon, some clothes to wear home and let Jerry know you are alright. Poor thing was so worried when Bash came running up to the house." 

"We all were." Matthew agreed. 

They hugged her goodbye once more and a few minutes later Gilbert entered the room. She couldn't look him in the eye, not when they had seen each other practically undressed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Mostly embarrassed." She admitted. "Thank you Gilbert."

"You would have done the same for me." He assured her, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking at a spot over her head. "Although I don't think I would look as cute as you in one of your dresses." And she chuckled at that...wait...was he saying she was cute?

"Well it was very heroic of you to carry me the rest of the way." She told him. "Your arms must be very tired."

"My arms? Oh not at all. I put you over my shoulder and carried you like a sack of grain." He told her. That was just like Gilbert Blythe. Let her build him up as some dashing hero, only for him to ruin it with the truth.

"Thanks for it anyway. And your coat...again."

"Oh my coat? I seem to recall you claiming you were never going to give it back." He teased.

"I was delirious from exposure, teetering on the edge of death. I can't be held responsible for anything I said." She told him.

"So I'm not sad and handsome?" He asked grinning, she was so embarrassed that she had told him that, she almost wished she had died. 

She refused to talk to him anymore, until it was time to leave, she got out of the bed and found she was still wearing his pants and socks along with the jacket, she took them all off and folded them on the bed and put on the dress Marilla had brought back from Green Gables. Once she was warmly dressed she stopped in the kitchen to thank Bash and Hazel for their help and generosity, and Gilbert again for saving her life.

"The thanks I owe is to you Anne." Bash told her. "I will never forget the sight of Blythe running up the hill in his long underwear, with you in his arms." Bash was chuckling but Anne was staring at Gilbert. He had said she was over his shoulder, but he had carried her like a true romantic hero. Why had Gilbert lied to her? Gilbert looked away and Anne let Marilla lead her out the door and to the wagon that had Matthew, Belle and several blankets waiting for her. 

Why had he lied?


End file.
